1. Field of the Invention
The invention disclosed herein relates to eyeglasses and eyeglass frames with alternative means of support on the face.
2. Description of the Related Art
Eyeglasses are commonly used to correct vision impairments and as well as to protect the eyes in hazardous environments. Typical eyeglass frames are comprised of common structures for positing the frame on the face of the wearer. These structures include temple arms, one end of which loops behind the ears, and a nose bridge or nose pads attached to the nose bridge, which rest upon the nose of a wearer. The two ear loops on the temple arms and the nose bridge or pads provide three points of contact with the face of the user, which provides sufficient support to maintain the frames in a desired position and alignment. The nose bridge or pads support a majority of the weight of the frames. The end loops of the temple arms engage with the cartilage of the ears and prevent the frame from sliding away from or down the nose.
Rhinoplasty, or cosmetic surgery to reshape the nose, is one of the more commonly administered forms of cosmetic surgery procedures. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, in the year 2002 approximately 354,327 rhinoplasty procedures were performed. A substantial recovery period is involved after rhinoplasty, during which the nose is swollen, inflamed and painfully sensitive to touch or pressure. The inflammation and sensitivity usually preclude use of common types of eyeglass frames.
In other cases, the use of conventional eyeglass frames is undesirable because the nose pads cause indentation marks in the skin of the nose, or pull flaccid skin downward, causing cosmetically unappealing wrinkles in the skin around the nose.
The use of contact lenses may alleviate these undesirable consequences, but cannot be worn by or are uncomfortable to many people. Further, contact lenses do not provide any physical protection to the eye, and hard lenses disposed anterior of the eye are still necessary to provide this protection, as well as vision correction.
A number of examples of modified eyeglass frames are available in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 182,013, issued to Andross on Sep. 12, 1876; U.S. Pat. No. 1,026,272, issued to Leveque on May 14, 1912 and U.S. Pat. No. 1,819,738, issued to Daniels on Feb. 23, 1928, each disclose a spectacles or eyeglasses wherein the lenses are supported by a frame that completely encircles the rear of the head. The spectacles are maintained on the head by pressing the frame around the lenses against the socket surrounding the eye using tension in the frame. This method can be uncomfortable and cause irritation to the skin around the eye socket.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,885, issued to Aronsohn on May 11, 1976, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,182, issued to Donner each disclose an eyeglass frame with a support member disposed, either permanently or removably, to the lower edge of the frame. These are capable of supporting the eyeglass frame off the bridge of the nose, but the positioning of the support member along the lower frame edge causes an obstruction to the downward field of vision, a disadvantage especially for those with bifocal lenses.
An eyeglass frame which supports the frame off the bridge of the nose without interfering with the normal field of vision is desirous.